This chicken cordon bleu recipe is perfect for when you need an easy fancy dinner. It’s rich, packed with chicken, ham, and cheese, and tastes restaurant quality.
Tender and Juicy Chicken Cordon Bleu
I love to go out for a fancy meal. But sometimes it can be even better to just make one at home. This chicken cordon bleu recipe is my go-to when I want an upscale dinner at home. It looks and tastes like something you would splurge for at your favorite restaurant. But it’s surprisingly easy to make at home! Whether you’re having a date night or just want to eat well, you’ve got to try this recipe the next time you need a nice meal.
Chicken cordon bleu is a popular European dish. It’s basically chicken that’s stuffed with ham and cheese, then breaded and cooked. What’s not to love about that? This recipe uses black forest ham and Swiss cheese, and they go together so well. I promise you that you’ll love this keto dinner!
Why You’ll Love This Cheesy Keto Chicken
This is one of my favorite recipes to make. And it’s definitely one of my favorite recipes to eat! Here’s why I know you’ll be a big fan of it.
- So much flavor. This is one of the most flavorful recipes I know. Think of a ham and cheese sandwich, but then imagine the bread is made out of chicken. That’s basically this recipe! But the secret to this dish is the breading. It’s packed with herbs and spices that give the chicken a great kick.
- Impressive. If you ever need to impress someone, I recommend making them this dish. This is the kind of recipe that people won’t believe is homemade. Everything about this dish is restaurant quality, but it’s still easy to make at home.
- Protein-packed. There are really only 3 main ingredients in this keto recipe: chicken, ham, and cheese. That’s about as full of protein as you can get!
Ingredients Needed
Here are the ingredients that you need to make this juicy and cheesy chicken dish. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the article to see the exact amounts for each ingredient.
- Chicken breasts – Use boneless and skinless breasts for this recipe.
- Ham – I like to use black forest ham.
- Swiss cheese
- Dijon mustard
- Eggs
- Almond flour – Almond flour is my go-to, but you can use any type of gluten-free flour.
- Grated parmesan – You can use pre-grated parmesan or grate your own.
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Pepper – Be sure to use freshly-cracked black pepper.
- Butter – You want to use unsalted butter.
- Lemon – Lemon is an optional garnish.
- Parsley – Parsley is also an optional garnish.
What is Italian Seasoning?
Italian seasoning is a fairly common herb blend that you can find at most grocery stores. Each company has a different recipe, but it usually includes dried basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and marjoram. If you don’t have any Italian seasoning, you can replace it with those individual ingredients.
How to Make Chicken Cordon Bleu
Here’s how to make this rich keto dinner. It’s surprisingly quick and easy!
- Cut the chicken. Cut your chicken breasts in half lengthwise, the way you would if you were butterflying the chicken.
- Pound. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap and hit it with a mallet until it’s about ¼-inch thick.
- Assemble. Spread the mustard on top of the chicken, then add ham and cheese.
- Roll. Place each piece of chicken on a large square of plastic wrap. Roll the chicken like a log, as tight as you can make it. Hold it in place with the plastic wrap.
- Chill. Put the rolled chicken breasts in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Prep the breading. Put the eggs in one bowl and beat them until well combined. In a second bowl, add the almond flour, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Bread the chicken. Remove the chicken from the fridge, and place it in the eggs until well covered. Then place them in the breading until well coated.
- Freeze. Put the breaded chicken on a plate or on a wire rack, and place them in the freezer. Leave them there for 15 minutes.
- Turn on the oven. While the chicken is in the freezer, preheat your oven to 400F, and grease an oven-safe dish with melted butter.
- Bake. Remove the chicken from the freezer and place it in the baking dish. Put the dish in the oven and bake until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165F. This should take 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve!
Tips and Tricks
These are a few of my favorite tips for making the best chicken cordon bleu.
- Let it rest. Anytime you’re cooking meat, you want to let the meat rest before cutting into it. After removing the chicken from the oven, let it rest for at least 5 minutes, and ideally 10. This gives the chicken time to reabsorb its juices. If you cut into the cordon bleu immediately after removing it from the oven, all the juices will spill out. Then you’ll be left with dry chicken, which nobody wants.
- Mallet alternatives. If you don’t have a meat mallet, don’t worry! There are plenty of kitchen items you can use to pound the chicken breast flat. I like to use a small cast iron skillet or the back of a big wooden spoon. You can also use a rolling pin and simply roll the chicken until it’s flatter.
- Use the dry hand method. When breading your chicken, make sure to use the dry hand method. Use one of your hands for the egg mixture and the other hand for the breading mixture. That will keep your hands from getting unnecessarily messy and will make the breading stick better on the chicken.
What to Serve it With
Honestly, this chicken cordon bleu is a complete meal all by itself. But I never turn down the opportunity to make some good side dishes! Here are a few of my favorite sides to serve with this keto chicken.
- Cheesy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Keto Garlic Bread Chaffles
- Broccoli Salad with Bacon
- Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
- Marinated Mozzarella Balls
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Chicken
Leftover chicken cordon bleu will last in the fridge for at least 3 days if you store it in an airtight container. To reheat, place it in a 350F oven for 10 minutes. You can also reheat the chicken in the microwave, but the breading will likely get soggy.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
Yes, you can absolutely freeze this recipe. Store it in an airtight container and it will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw or defrost before reheating, or reheat straight from the freezer in a 350F oven for 15-20 minutes.
More Easy Keto Chicken Recipes
If you liked this recipe then I have good news: there’s more where that came from! Here are some of my other favorite keto chicken dinner recipes that are so easy to make.
- Easy Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
- French Onion Chicken
- Slow Cooker Zesty Ranch Chicken
- Blackened Chicken and Brussels Sprouts Skillet
- Chicken Caprese
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts skinless and boneless
- 8 thin-cut slices black forest ham
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
- 4 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons melted butter unsalted
- Salt and pepper to tast
- Lemon parsley, and dijon for serving
Instructions
- Cut the chicken lengthwise, as if you are butterflying it, but cut it all the way through. This will leave you with 4 thinner chicken breasts. Put plastic wrap on the chicken and beat it with a meat mallet until it's about 1/4-inch thick.
- Spread 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard on each chicken breast, then top with 2 slices of ham and 1 slice of Swiss cheese.
- Cut 4 12×12-inch squares of plastic wrap and place a chicken breast on each square. Roll one of the chicken breasts tightly, then secure it with plastic wrap. Repeat with the other breasts.
- Place the rolled chicken in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
- While the chicken is in the fridge, set up the breading stations. Put the beaten eggs in one bowl, and the almond flour, parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in the other.
- Remove the chicken from the plastic wrap. Place it in the eggs until covered, then put it in the breading. Make sure the chicken is well coated.
- Put the breaded chicken in the freezer for 15 minutes to help the coating stay on the meat.
- While the chicken cools, preheat your oven to 400F and grease an oven-safe dish with melted butter.
- Put the chicken in the dish, and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the meat has an internal temperature of 165F.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
- Reheat in a 350F oven for 10 minutes.
